Top Travel Gear

Fuji Finepix F550 EXR, a very handy travel camera!

2011-07-14T16:27:00.001+01:00

As I said in my previous post, I have been looking for a compact point and shoot camera as a backup to my HS10, and the start of 2011 saw many new models that would fit the bill very nicely!
Only a year and a half ago I was carrying my trusty Minolta A200, a bridge camera with 8mp, 7x zoom, 1.8inch LCD, 800x600 @ 15fps video and 2.3fps continuous shooting mode.

(Again I must apologize for the long post and loading times, supposed to be broken up into 3 pages, but for some reason the new Blogger wont let me! any tips would be most greatfull?)

The jump up to the HS10 was a welcome change, my wish list not quite fully filled, but it was well on its way!
Now we have a choice of models from most of the top names for an even smaller P&S cam with 15-16mp, 14-16x lenses, 3" LCD's, full HD video and 8-11fps continuous, plus lots of little extras like Panorama, slow-mo movie modes and GPS (something I've been looking forward to having on a camera for ages!)

I had been following the dpreview forums and various other website info about these exciting new cameras, waiting patiently for them to firstly become available, then for buyers to post their findings, the results were mixed to say the least, as with any new cams, a certain learning curve is required to get to know each cameras quirks.
Eventually, the "love-hate" debates ensued, some finding faults, minor and major, and some loving their new gadgets. Firmware updates cured a few minor problems, and gradually my personal favorite emerged, but I was still a little unsure!

My time with the Fujifilm HS10 since its launch has made me a fan of Fuji bridge cams, so the announcement this year of the new and improved HS20EXR got me instantly interested. There is no doubt that picture quality has improved from some of the pictures I've seen, the new EXR sensor when used sensibly really shines with the 30x lens, but the omission of a bigger and brighter EVF (viewfinder) and GPS, made my decision to wait for maybe the HS30, so much easier!
The same sensor is used in the Fujifilm F550, and although I'm not a dedicated Fuji fan, this little beauty had caught my eye!

3.0 inch rear LCD with 460,000 pixel
16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor
Fujinon 15x Optical zoom lens covering 24-360mm (35mm equivalent)
New Rich User Interface using Vector fonts and graphics
Full resolution high speed shooting at 8fps
Full HD movie capture (H.264 MOV file format)
Self timer Approx. 10 sec./ 2 sec. delay
Advanced 27 scene mode EXR Auto
Sensor-shift Image stabilization
White Balancing
SD / SDHC / SDXC (UHS-I) memory card Storage
Film simulation modes
360° Motion Panorama mode
Photobook Assist function
GPS functionality enabled
RAW shooting
Advanced Anti-blur technologies
1600% wide dynamic range
White balance settings

Point and shoot cameras are one of those handy breeds that you can put in any pocket, so generally are the most used as it just happens to be the one you have with you!

As a backup travel cam, it will come into it's own on those evenings when taking the larger bridge/dSLR is not an option, for practical and safety reasons.

I've had a few outings with the F550exr now, a day in London which included a trip to the Chelsea Flower Show, and a 10 day holiday to Portugal, where I was unfortunately laid up with a bad back for the most part, but managed to venture out a few days to take in some of the wonderful sights.

Once you learn a few tricks with this little Fuji, like using the "Macro" function with the zoom lens to aid in better close to mid range performance for flowers and the like, and the +/- EV button (basic stuff with any camera, I know!) it really helps to make your photos pop!

My main camera settings are as follows;

Mode = P (most of the time)
ISO = Auto 800, sometimes Auto 3200 when indoors.
Image Size = M 4:3 (that's 8mp, not the full 16mp)
IQ = F
D-Rng = Auto
Film Simulation = Velvia/Vivid (adds a little more colour)
WB = Auto
Continuous = Off
Adv Anti Blur = Off
Face Detection = Off
Photometry = Multi, sometimes Spot
AF mode = Center

Of course, these are only guideline settings that I have used so far, they could and probably will change the longer I use this cam, but for now, they are working quite well for me!

After handling the likes of the HS10, the F550 is very small in comparison, so I recommend using the included short wrist strap at all times, just in case!

There are not as many accessories for compacts like there are for bridge/dSLR's, but I did come across a couple, the Joby Gorillapod, which everyone has heard of, and a very handy little number, recommended by a fellow dpreview member, the Flipbac

This simple device is just a double hinged mirror that fits around the LCD screen on your camera, it protects the screen when not in use, fold it down out of the way when not needed, and soon comes into it's own when trying to take pictures in awkward positions.

It takes a little getting used to, as you see an inverted image in landscape or portrait view, but it is much better than laying in the dirt for close up macros of plants or for a different perspective.

Photo on camera for demonstration purposes only (but was taken with the F550)

Below are a few I took at Paul Simon's concert in Birmingham in June. I was sat in the furthest block from the stage (about 80m) but fortunately had a short wall and railing right in front of my seat.
Leaning forward and resting the camera on the wall, and looking down into the Flipbac, I managed to get some quite impressive images considering the conditions!
Shooting indoors under changeable lighting conditions can give most dSLR's a run for their money, but the little Fuji managed amicably and is far less conspicuous.

They wont win any awards, but please take into account that they were all taken at 15x plus digital zoom hand held but braced on the wall (didn't have the Gorillapod with me) the lighting conditions and of course, the moving artists! (apart from the first, which just shows the distance and handrail which sits on top of the wall!)

iso800, f/5.3, 1/20 sec, 66mm + lots of digital zoom

iso640, f/5.3, 1/60 sec, 66mm + digital zoom!

iso800, f/5.3, 1/28 sec, 66mm + digital zoom

iso800, f/5.3, 1/20 sec, 66mm + digital zoom

What a privilege it was to see and hear this icon!

Having gone through the steep learning curve with the HS10 over the last year, I had become accustomed to Fuji's menus and idiosyncrasies, so it was a lot faster to acclimatize to the F550, all be it in a much smaller package.

Handling, is to be expected for a P&S, right hand has a fairly good grip with a ridged rubber pad on the front, and contoured back below the mode dial with 6 small protruding rubber dots which act more for thumb placement rather than grip.

The slanted mode dial is easy to use, a little too easy at times, as I have accidentally moved it without knowing on occasion. ("firmer more positive dial in the next one please Fuji?")

Everything else is in an easily learned configuration, except the video button, it's not a bad location on what is a rather cramped back, it's just a little difficult to operate one handed, especially if you have long fingers like I do!

This is purely a personal thing, you might love it of course!

The "F" button handily places most manual settings in one easily reached place, ISO, Image Size, Continuous, Advanced Anti Blur (EXR only) and Film Simulation (Velvia, Astia, B&W and Sepia)

Macro, Flash, Timer and EV +/- adjustment have direct access through the circular "Selector Button" (SB) I have learnt that the F550 does need certain adjustments in the area of "Exposure Compensation", something that can be preset in the menus if you wish, but I prefer to do it as and when needed with the SB, be careful though, as once used, it will stay on that setting until you return it to +/- 0, even if the camera is turned off and on again!

Here is a sample from a day in London followed by a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show, I had only had the camera a couple of weeks and took my HS10 along for the ride, but it didn't see daylight, I was having so much fun with the F550!

All handheld and jpeg only.

iso200, f/3.7, 1/640 sec, 5mm +1.3 EV

iso200, f/10, 1/680 sec, 17mm

iso200, f/10, 1/640 sec, 4mm

P mode, iso200, f/4.9, 1/850 sec, 14mm.....

iso200, f/5.9, 1/420 sec, 29mm.....

iso200, f/11, 1/320 sec, 66mm (full 15x zoom)

iso200, f/11, 1/450 sec. 66mm + some digital zoom.....

iso200, f/5.3 (?), 1/550 sec, 66mm + full digital zoom, camera says that equates to 62x?

I know that most frown upon digital zoom, but for a consumer P&S travel camera, it can be highly effective when used sensibly and has a similar output to cropping in PP!

Good light is essential of course, as is a steady hand, better still, use a tripod or Joby Gorillapod with the 2 sec timer.

I was at the Chelsea Flower Show this year because I had been working on part of a show garden designed by Nigel Dunnett for the RBC New Wild Garden.

It was a huge team effort, myself and fellow workers had to build a home office/studio out of an old shipping container, complete with habitat walls and a living roof, it was only a small part of the garden as a whole, but one of the main features.

For more details visit greenroofshelters.co.uk

iso100, f/3.5, 1/280 sec, 4mm

iso200, f/3.5, 1/220 sec, 4mm

iso200, f/4.4, 1/250 sec, 10mm

More habitat walls on another show garden!

Notice the film crew at the bottom of picture, I didn't until the pics were on my laptop!

iso3200, f/5.3, 1/60 sec, 19mm

This and the following shots were taken inside the main pavilion which has no artificial light,

just diffused sunlight from the sail like roof.

No flash used, just a higher ISO (Auto 3200) and individual EV adjustment!

All handheld.

iso1250, f/5.7, 1/60 sec, 25mm, -0.7 EV

Pitcher plants, amazing things and one of my favorites!

iso1250, f/5.4, 1/60 sec, 20mm +macro and +0.3 EV

iso1000, f/5.5, 1/60 sec, 22mm

iso160, f/5.9, 1/60 sec, 58mm + macro.....plus a little sunlight!

iso400, f/5.3, 1/60 sec, 66mm + Macro and +1 EV

iso400, f/4.4, 1/52 sec, 10mm,

and no, I didn't suddenly visit Africa,

this is a flower display with a cool backdrop!

As some of you may know if you've visited my site before, I am an avid nature photographer, and since purchasing the F550 I have snapped more than my fair share of critters.

Now, I know that other cameras are better suited to the task, my HS10 has done sterling work, but most of the time I don't have it with me, the F550 on the other hand sits in a pouch on my belt wherever I go, so if something is kind enough to show itself, then I have at least a chance of getting a shot!

Admittedly, it is not easy capturing anything too small and at range, but at least something is better than nothing!

Female Emperor Dragonfly laying eggs.

iso100, f/5.3, 1/150 sec, 66mm (15x) + Macro

iso100, f/5.3, 1/240 sec, 66m + Macro and -0.3 EV

A Stag Beetle, was kind enough to fly over when enjoying dinner in a friends garden!

.....yes, they fly!!

iso200, f/4.4, 1/52 sec, 10mm + Macro

This Swallow chick fell out of it's collapsed nest in a friends stable while I was working, a ladder, small piece of wood and a couple of screws later, it was returned along with it's 4 siblings, much to the delight of the parents, who now had 5 hungry mouths to feed again!

Rose Chafer beetle, iso100, f/4.7, 1/500 sec, 11mm + Macro + heavy crop

Ringlet butterfly, iso100, f/4.8, 1/60 sec, 12mm + Macro and +0,3 EV

Swallow, iso100, f/5.3, 1/200 sec, 66mm + heavy crop

Gecko, iso800, f/6.2, 1/60 sec, 44mm + Macro, flash and crop.

iso100, f/6.1, 1/300 sec, 50mm and -0.3 EV

The F550 is a prime candidate to cover most peoples criteria for a travel camera, so I took it to Portugal for 10 days to put it through it's paces!

More on that when I have some time, but for now, I hope you've enjoyed it so far?

Any constructive comments are most welcome, and please feel free to subscribe so as not to miss the next installment.

Happy travelling/snapping :-)

Fujifilm FinePix F550exr at Amazon UK

Fuji F550exr at Warehouseexpress

F550exr at PaurelyGadgets

F550exr at Jessops UK

COMPACT TRAVEL CAMERAS

2011-04-02T13:55:00.003+01:00

As I have not been travelling much over the last year or so, my posts on new kit have been few and far between, I do apologize for that and the fact that the ones I have written are mostly about cameras!
Well, there has been a lot of new cameras coming out on the market recently, plus I have gotten to grips with my Fuji HS10 at last, and it does seem to be a great travelling cam if your prepared to learn it's idiosyncrasies and find some good light! (see my HS10 review here)

I thought you might like to know about another breed of travel cam that might suit your purposes better, if the likes of a bridge camera like the HS10 is a little too big for you, or as in my case, act as a handy back-up!

These new point and shoot cams have a compact pocket-able size, 12 or more megapixel sensors, 14-16x lenses, HD video, a host of interesting modes like face detection and panorama, and GPS, something that I personally, have been waiting for for ages!

For most travellers, this is all that they will ever need in a camera, I'm into nature/birdwatching in a big way, so like the extra reach of the 30x lens on the HS10, but apart from that, the extra small form factor of these new P&S cameras is ideal.

Fujifilm-FinePix-F550, 16mp, 15x lens, full HD video, GPS

Sony DSC HX9VB, 16.8mp, 16x lens, 1080p HD video, GPS

Panasonic Lumix TZ20, 14.1mp, 16x lens, full HD video, LCD touchscreen, GPS

Canon-PowerShot-SX-230, 12.1mp, 14x lens, full HD movie, GPS

Samsung-WB650, 12mp, 15x lens, HD movie, GPS

All these cams offer a very versatile package for a point and shoot size camera, huge zoom range for the size, large clear LCD screens (but fixed with no viewfinder) a host of easy to use modes for most situations like sunrise/sunset, snow, beach, action, nightshot, portrait, face detection, panorama and high speed shooting.
Some even have High Resolution and Dynamic Range modes and even shoot in Raw if needed.

HD video seems to be commonplace these days, and all these cameras offer it in one guise or another.

GPS, a great way of linking your photos to the exact spot and orientation they were taken in, using a built in GPS receiver, which in most cases is the small bump on top of each cam.
When engaged, the GPS tags each photo with position data that can be read and added to the likes of Google maps, showing a visual representation of your trip, some can even find where a photo was taken from, giving you the direction and distance on the LCD screen, great for finding your hotel or hostel in a busy city, as long as you remember to take a photo of it to begin with that is, lol!!

As with most GPS related equipment (Satnav, Smartphones etc.) patience and a clear sky is needed for this option to work properly, and it will of course drink juice from the battery, so if there is an option to have it "on" only when the camera is, and not continuous, then select that!

With all camera purchases, please do some research first, a model that seems perfect for one person, might not be for another, so look at the list of features for each, read some reviews and visit some forums like those on Digital Photography Review

I am looking to purchase one of these cameras in the next month or so, as a back-up to my Fujifilm HS10. Not all are available yet, so am waiting for the full reviews to emerge before making my decision.

The reason I carry 2 cameras while travelling, is that I like having my main camera for day to day stuff, hiking, nature, landscape etc.. but in the evenings when out for a meal or drink with fellow travellers, having a large camera round your neck is a bit of a liability, plus the HS10 is less than perfect in low light situations!
A small compact P&S cam that fits in your pocket or sits in a pouch on your belt, is much less obvious to those that would like to part them from us!

Which one will I choose?.......well, the verdict is still out on that one, but I'm leaning towards the Fuji F550 EXR, there are some good pics being shown from other parts of the world that have it already, and it uses the same sensor as the new HS20 EXR, so am naturally interested in how it performs.

I might have even been tempted by the new HS20 EXR, as it does seem to address a few of the HS10's shortcomings, but as I said in an older post, the fact that the EVF (viewfinder) has remained the same, and they still haven't added GPS to it, has ruled it out for now........ maybe in the HS30?

Which ever camera I choose, I will give it a thorough going over for you guys, as I am planning a few short haul trips this year around Europe, and will of course post the results............... in my usual laid back, light hearted and amateurish way! :-)

Happy shooting,
Dave

Map the Music

2011-01-04T21:27:00.018Z

A slightly different post from the norm, but still one that is relevant to us all, no matter our background or where we are from.......Music

I don't know about you, but I can't live without my music, when on the road it's like having a friend along with you, whether it be driving in my car or flying high overhead with my headphones on!
It can bring forth a feeling of calm, joy, sadness, horror and even transport you to another and hopefully happier place!

It comes in many forms, in fact, an infinite amount, and it still amazes me that all the variables have not been used up yet! but still, with new artists come new techniques and styles, each a little gem in their own way!

I am a great believer that some tunes/songs were always meant to be, waiting to be found!
I'm not going to rattle off loads of examples here, as we all have our favorites, it would be boring if we didn't!

For me, it is a way of escapism, it takes me to another level of consciousness, of course, you have to listen to the right sort of music for this, mainly chillout or something smooth, like The Karma Collection 2003 and Chilled Ibiza but the list is endless!

Recently I have been treating myself to a music download spree, from some new artists I had never heard of before, mainly thanks to two very talented people in their field, composer/singer/songwriter Imogen Heap and filmmaker Samantha Hale.

Immi and Sam

Now, I had been a fan of Imogen's music for many years, when she was part of the group called Frou Frou with Guy Sigsworth (another very talented chap!) but it wasn't until a friend sent me a link to a YouTube music video on Facebook back in February 2010, that I really found out "who" I was listening to!
I can't for the life of me remember who or what the original video was, but alongside it there was a list of similar songs, and one was by an Imogen Heap!

No idea why this name stood out from the rest, but I clicked on it only to hear a familiar song..............a live solo version of Let Go.
It was a defining moment for me, I was blown away by such raw talent, and was soon searching for more of the same!
After watching countless other videos and downloading 3 of her albums, Details, Speak for Yourself
and Ellipse (which she won a Grammy for) I looked to find out more info, and wondered if there were any concerts due, low and behold there was a UK tour that very month..............but was out of luck, as they were completely sold out!!

Gutted, but at the same time awed by the fact that a none mainstream artist had such a following, I signed up to Immi's Twitter and FB sites to stay up to date with any other concert info!
I was not alone!.......she has a "huuuuge" social network fan base!

A few weeks later, I received a message saying she was going on a world tour, which would end with a special at her favorite venue of all time, the Royal Albert Hall in London.
This was what I had been wishing for, and promptly bought 2 tickets (I'm single, but wanted to share this with at least one good friend!)

The year passed, with rave reviews from around the world being posted everywhere, and the news that the RAH concert would be the first place to show a concept film consisting of footage sent in by Immi's fans. Jointly conceived with Thomas Ermacora and called "Love the Earth", Immi would write the accompanying music and conduct a talented mix of fans and friends in an orchestra, which was to be recorded live at the show!

I did of course submit some HD footage for the film, from my Fuji HS10, some reeds blowing in the wind, and a jubilant Reed Bunting singing his heart out on another wind swept marshy reed, my hopes were high and my excitement was building ever more as the day drew near!

I invited my very good friend Blanche along with me, who I introduced to Immi's work a few months earlier. She is a very hard working individual, who is the joint Director and trustee of an organisation called Reset, and Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of the Environment at the Centre for Alternative Technology........... also a modest but talented musician, and now an Immi fan too!

No one deserved a day off more than Blanche, and we started off the magic day with a walk down Brick lane, until our bellies told us it was lunch time!

The weather could not have been worse, but it did not dampen our spirits, we talked so much the afternoon flew by, and were soon walking through Hyde Park (still in the rain!) towards the RAH for the 7.30pm start.
A young couple stopped us and asked if we knew the way to the RAH as they didn't want to miss their favorite artist, we laughed and told them to tag along with us!

Now, I am well known for my sense of humor, and had told Blanche well in advance that she should probably bring along a pair of binoculars, as the "cheap seats" are far from the main stage, she did not, but I had mine in my bag with my camera so we could share.
We were bang on time for entry, everyone seemed excited and very friendly, all very civilized.
We entered at door 11, round the back, and down through some corridors, up some stairs and came right out next to the stage, we pirouetted on our heels, heads pointed skyward as we took in the majesty of the RAH.
Blanche took one look at me and said "I think were in the wrong place!" then a friendly steward asked for our tickets, and said "your right here, 4 rows back from the stage!" (which I knew already of course!)
I so wish I had my camera ready for the look on Blanche's face..............it was a picture, lol!!

The concert was truly amazing, one of if not the best I have ever been to, we even had to participate in a couple of the scores for the Film, and personally, I don't think I'll be head hunted by any labels very soon (or ever!) and I apologize to those who sat nearby! but just being part of it was a very special feeling!

It was sad that it had to come to an end, but am sure everyone involved was due a well earned rest, as we sat for a while, soaking it all in and letting the exiting crowds die down.
We walked back down the corridors, almost alone, when a side door opens to another corridor and who should be walking towards us? yep, you guessed it, Immi herself!
This was too good an opportunity to miss, so I politely waited for the right moment as she spoke to some other people, and asked if it would be OK if she signed a memento poster for me............. which she did! (thanks Immi :-)

A perfect end to a most memorable day, I didn't care that I got soaked to the skin 3 times, my film clips were not used and that I almost missed the last train home, I'd spent it in great company, friends and strangers alike, all with a common interest in a universal language....................MUSIC!

Along with the poster, I'd also bought Imogen's DVD called "Everything In-Between" the story about how her latest album Ellipse was made, a wonderful backstage look at the creative process, along with the highs and lows of one of the countries most innovative singer/songwriters.

Trailer for Everything In-Between

It was sort of through this DVD that I came across Samantha Hale's film called Map the Music

Sam is a wonderfully talented individual in her own right, and through the wonders of social networks, has become a friend, and deserves every credit for this unique insight into the relationship artists and fans have with music and each other.
Immi features in this also, along with a list of other such talented artist like;
Zoe Keating
Kate Havnevik
Tori Amos
Cary Brothers
Charlotte Martin
Guy Sigsworth
Jim Bianco
Rachael Yamagata
Schuyler Fisk
......and many more!

Map the Music trailer

The film is also a compelling account of Sam's journey after the sad death of her father.
Her love of music and filmmaking sent her on a road of discovery, travelling from concert to concert, following her favorite artists around the world, and asking them and their fans a simple question.................what does music mean to you?

In so doing, deep questions were answered within herself, as she explains openly in one scene, with tears streaming down her face!.....a heart warming moment!

Well done Samantha, you had a dream and saw it through, what a wonderful accomplishment!

Throughly recommended, get it here; "Map the Music"

I asked myself the same question, and apart from "escapism" as I mentioned before, memories would come next!

There have been many moments in my varied life, when a certain tune is locked in with a certain memory, some good, some bad, as that's what makes them all the more memorable!
Take A Horse With No Name by America, a classic song from my childhood, and whenever I hear it, it transports me straight back to the Keepers cottage we lived in near the Welsh border in north Shropshire when I was about 5 or 6 years old, a wonderful place in the countryside with a large garden, great for exploring nature!
My parents used to play it regularly on their record player during the summer months, windows open, where it used to emanate into the garden. Of course I was riding around on my own horse with no name, other than broom or spade!

Amazing Grace is another powerful song that reminds me of another more recent event.
I did a nine week tour (a bit of soul searching after my divorce) round America and Canada back in 2004 with 11 others (mostly students)
It was a great group of people, all strangers to start with, and it took a little while but we became great friends, then at the end of the 5th week, there was a fatal accident!
We had one of the few lazy days in our schedule, and spent it at Lake Powell in Utah. A huge body of fresh water surrounded by red rock cliffs and small sand-less beaches, a great water sports playground!

To cut a long story short, one of the group jumped off a high cliff into the water, never to be seen again!

He was 23, an adventurer, and generally a great guy, up for a challenge, hence the cliff jumping.

Later that day, after returning to the campground from the Sheriffs office, we met with another group doing a similar trip who we had met a few days before at another camp, they couldn't believe the bad news, and asked us to join them round the camp fire they had made.
One of their group was singing and playing a few songs on his guitar (Scot I believe his name was, from Australia and he was very good!) the atmosphere was of course very sombre, when he asked if it would be OK if he played a song in memory of our friend........he played and sang Amazing Grace.................... a catalyst for our grief to overflow!

I guess the same song or piece of music can have an infinite amount of different effects on each and every one of us, so it is a very personal emotion. Magnify that by watching an artist live, and you can see why such events are so popular!
It is a leveler of playing fields, a universal language that transcends boundaries and differences, and evokes a happy ethic (generally!)
It helps us through difficult times, and celebrates the better ones.

What would a film be without a soundtrack, nursery rhymes without children, or a country without an anthem?

Music..............it's what makes us human!

HS10, some more findings! plus HS20 EXR

2011-01-04T12:22:00.010Z

A short update to my review of the HS10, sorry about the delay, been rather busy of late!
Oh...... and Happy New Year!

I finally managed to find a product that did exactly what I wanted it to do, Milliput
If you remember in my last post, I had a little problem of accidentally hitting the playback button with the palm of my hand while shooting. I tried Black Fimo, but it just wouldn't air dry enough and broke away, so I searched for a replacement modeling putty that did.

Milliput black is a two part epoxy putty that goes rock hard in a few hours at room temperature, and I molded a small amount around the playback button on my camera (see below pic), which solved the problem!

As you can see, it only needs a small raised piece to prevent my palm from hitting the button. Care is needed to not cover the battery bay and card reader doors, the latter I used to indent a similar textured look so it blends in as if it was meant to be there, a cheap, neat and very handy addition.

I'm open to talks with Fuji if they wish to use the design in future models, lol!!

A few months ago I went to my friends apartment in Menorca, an annual event with 3 good friends, purely for a very relaxing break.

It was the first time I've used my HS10 outside the UK, and as we only take 1 piece of carry on luggage, had to pack light.

I managed to get my new Technoline BL700 Intelligent AA - AAA Battery Charger and several packs of Sanyo Eneloop AA Batteries into my duffel bag, along with my monopod, binoculars and a change of clothes etc.

Nothing unusual there I hear you say! but when I tell you that I conditioned the Eneloops

before leaving with the BL700, a series of discharge/charges to optimize each cell, I put one set in the camera and they lasted the whole trip!

I took nearly 500 images (all jpg), some panoramic, some flash, a few videos, and countless times reviewing and showing my friends the pics on the LCD screen, and I still hadn't seen any sign of the battery low warning light yet!! Admittedly, I used the viewfinder most of the time, and the "Single AF" focus mode for the lens, but thats still pretty impressive!

If that wasn't good enough, a week later, I had a day out at Beaulieu in the New Forest, and took another 220 photos before the same batteries eventually gave up the ghost!

To me, this is quite remarkable, it just goes to show how far AA's have come in recent years, and a huge thumbs up for Sanyo's Eneloops and the Technoline BL700 Charger

This is very beneficial to the traveler, as you only really need 2 sets for your camera now. When charged each night with a good charger (not a fast charger), a set will last all day of heavy use, and maybe two or more as in my case, but take a spare just in case!
Secondly, it means opening up your camera to the elements less frequently, which is always handy when on a far off dusty trail somewhere!

Below are a few pictures taken on the Menorca trip.
Please click image for a larger look!

Swallowtail

Locust, at least 3 inches long!

Lizards everywhere!

A giant Tortoise............

well......not so big then, lol!!

Part of Ciutadella at sunset........straight from camera!

And a few from Beaulieu.

Inside the motor museum was quite dark, and as I dislike the flat effect

flash can have on some pictures, I decided to up the ISO instead

In the gardens.

In the Palace.......takes you right back in time!

.....lost moments of musical memories!

Well, it didn't take as long as I thought it would, but Fuji have released details of the HS10's successor!

The HS20 EXR

The list of improvements include;

All-new 16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor
3.0 inch tilting rear LCD with 460,000 pixels and new Rich User Interface using Vector fonts and graphics
Full resolution high speed shooting at 8fps, high speed video capture at up to 320 fps (320 x 112 pixels)
Advanced Anti-blur technologies
1600% wide dynamic range
Longer battery life (up to 350 frames with 4 x AA batteries)
Electronic Horizon level function
Full HD movie capture using H.264 (MOV) format
New 27 mode EXR Auto mode
Colour fringe reduction and improved corner sharpness
Film simulation modes
Quick start mode
360° Motion Panorama mode
TTL flash control with optional external flashes
Remote release with the RR-80
Lens hood included
Photobook Assist function

Apart from the welcome modifications to the sensor and LCD screen, and inclusion of TTL flash and remote control, all which will have to be tested to see if they make any marked improvement, I think the biggest omission is there seems to be no improvement to the electronic viewfinder.....a big mistake!

It looks pretty much identical to the HS10, although I do believe that the flash housing does not cover quite as much lens, to facilitate easier zooming.

Not a bad time to get a bargain on the barely 1 year old brand new HS10 then?

Or pre-order the new HS20 EXR

You can also find some very interesting stuff about the HS10/20 and other Fuji cameras at the EyeMindSoul blog

written by fellow dpreviewer Dave Lloyd

He has mastered the HS10 more than anyone else I know,

well worth the visit for his insight into camera settings and wonderful galleries!

Fujifilm HS10 review, as a travel camera!

2010-08-08T18:16:00.020+01:00

Fuji HS10

Firstly, I'd like to apologize for this very long post if anyone is having trouble with loading the page, it should be divided into several separate pages, but having some issues with the new Blogger and page layout at the moment!!
Sorry about that, working on a solution!!

Hope you enjoy anyway? :-)

As promised (if a little later than anticipated!), here is my layman's opinion of the Fujifilm HS10, and why it ranks as one of the best bridge cameras for nature loving travelers.
With a 10 megapixel, 24-720mm manual zoom lens, a large tilting LCD screen and a host of new features, it has caused quite a stir since it's launch earlier in 2010.

I am no professional photographer here, just a keen amateur who knows what he likes in a travel camera, so there will be no high tech jargon about pixel count, IQ, the size of the sensor or RAW images in this review, just my likes and dislikes, a list of accessories that might be useful, a comparison with the camera it's replacing (Minolta A200), and a collection of jpeg images that may or may not have been tweaked in a free editing suit like Picassa or Live Photo Gallery.

HS10 and my old Minolta A200 which feels more like a toy in comparison!

Out of the box

I liked it straight from the off, a good size, not too bulky, it feels solid with good balance, looks every bit like one of the smaller entry level DSLR's, but without the interchangeable lenses. The body is made pretty much entirely of tough plastic and rubber with a crinkle finish which affords a good grip.
When you grab the camera with your right hand, it seems instinctive to cradle the lens barrel from underneath with your left, sitting it on the palm. This makes for a fairly steady stance for taking photos with your eye to the EVF (electronic viewfinder), with upper arms resting down across your chest, thumb and fingers at the ready for composing your shot with the smooth zoom - just over a quarter of a turn does wide to full telephoto.... impressive!

Overall, size, finish, button layout, lens and large tilting LCD screen also impressed, and just what the discerning traveler is looking for, a compact, good handling, jack of all trades camera to cover most situations!

Now lets get down to the more important stuff!

The EVF

To be honest, I am a little disappointed. It's adequate, but could be greatly improved by being bigger and brighter. There are no adjustments other than a diopter dial on the side - for individual eye adjustment.
The EVF is my preferred way of taking pics, and I have now learned to accept it's limitations. It's far from being perfect, but then few things are!
It does have an automatic Eye Sensor setting, if you need it, that switches off the LCD when you use the EVF (something that the Minolta has had for years). I never used it then either, but that's me, you might love it!

EVF with eye sensor to the right, and diopter wheel on left

LCD screen

This is quite a nice large 3" tilting screen that does come in handy when getting into some awkward spots. It's a little difficult to see when in bright sunshine, but then I haven't seen one that isn't! Would be even nicer if it swiveled like the A200, and had a higher resolution that many other newer cameras are being shipped with these days. I guess Fuji are trying the market with this flagship model, and all our reservations and wishes will be included in the Mk 11 version........wouldn't that be great??

Travelling to foreign countries and taking pics of local people usually leaves me in a bit of a quandary. The last thing you want to do is just snap away without a care and upset someone - I know I wouldn't like it! But sometimes, if you stop to ask, the moment has been lost and the shot doesn't look so natural. This is where the HS10 comes into it's own. Sit somewhere quite, holding the camera down low, or even resting on a table, tilt the LCD up for a clear view, zoom in, and snap! Much better than looking like one of the paparazzi!

LCD screen tilts 90 degrees up and about 45 down

Notice the GGS Pro Glass Screen Protector, a great piece of kit, and highly recommended.
(yes it is made for the 40D/50D Canons, but that also happens to be the exact size for the HS10

Menu and Button Layout

The menu is fairly easy to find your way around, with lots of settings to choose from. There is much talk about these in places like dpreview, just search for HS10 in the Fujifilm Talk forum. Even then, play around with them till you find something you like!

Direct Shooting Buttons

Large Mode dial and smaller one for use with Direct Shooting Buttons

Down the left side are the Direct Shooting Buttons: ISO (sensitivity), AE (auto-exposure), AF (auto-focus), AF C/S/M (focus mode), and WB (white balance)
Simple to use, press one you wish to change and dial the correct setting with the right hand mode dial. This works very well and is a welcome addition - the use of two components at the same time makes sure that no changes are made to the settings by hitting a button accidentally.

One button that is easy to hit by mistake is the playback button. It sits on the lower right side, just below the round silver Selector Button.

Selector button has many functions, pretty commonplace these days

The amount of times I have hit this with the palm of my hand during shooting is getting beyond a joke. I plan to get a little bit of Black Fimo (a craft modeling clay that normally oven dries but can be air dried in a warm airing cupboard - given enough time) to build the body up around the right hand side of the button where my palm rests. Other types of modeling clay like Power Putty will work just as well, although you would have to change the colour. I will post the results when I finish it!

Click here to see this fix!

Video

The video button is also a great feature (the one with the orange dot). No matter what mode you are in while taking pictures, press this and you are straight into videoing whatever you're pointed at!

Video is pre-set in the menu, HD 1080p, HD 720, 640 and 320, with a multitude of high speed options. Be warned though, the higher the speeds, the lower the resolution. The maximum 1000fps renders the movie so small it's almost useless - although it is fun to play with!

My preference is to leave it on 720 at 30fps, which is very smooth and quite adequate for my needs. But it's always nice to have a little extra if needed!
When on occasion that I have used high speed video, the 120fps setting gave very good results. Do remember to switch it back to normal speeds afterwards, or the next time you go to use it, it will still be in high speed mode!

There has been concerns on the forums about severe shaking in the HD video results. All I can say is, when using a powerful lens like this one, use a tripod!! Every minute vibration will be magnified the same amount of times as the picture. Clench your fist tightly.....can you feel your blood pumping? Multiply that by 30 times and I think you'll get the picture!
This goes for any camera, so at the very least, brace yourself against a wall, car or something solid, or use a mono/tripod. Anything to minimize the human element.

The manual zoom is not the best while shooting video. I'd recommend sticking to a pre-set zoom range for each take and changing it in between. I've tried to zoom during shooting and it is jerky at best. If video is your thing, then get a dedicated video recorder. The HS10 has it as a welcome addition, but it is not meant to be it's main feature.

The Lens

This award winning lens has a huge range - 24-720mm, that's wider than average (28 is the norm) to a whopping great 30x magnification!

The perfect traveling camera, in my eyes, has to have a long reach manual zoom in a compact form, and the HS10 has that in spades. It's one of the main features that perspective buyers are looking for, and although there are other superzoom bridge cameras out there - namely the Olympus SP-800UZ and Nikon P100, which have power zoomed 28-840 (30x) and 26-678mm (26x) lenses respectively - the HS10 leads the way.

My preference has always been a manual zoom. It's just a natural and quick way to frame a picture - none of this zoom button pushing, first one way, then the other because you missed the best spot. It's also noisy, annoying and drinks battery juice (but it is handy for videoing ;-)

Lens fully extended

With all that range, there has to be some sort of anti-shake on board, and Fuji have added 4 options of Image Stabilization (5 if you count Off): Continuous, Shooting only, Continuous + Digital and Shooting only + Digital.
My preference is Shooting only, as it does save on battery life compared to Continuous. I've not got round to trying the Digital IS yet. Even then, it doesn't hurt to use a mono/tripod as well when at the long end for extra steady shots.

My choice of added stability as a traveler is the Velbon Ultra Stick L50 monopod. It's only 35cm when collapsed, 155cm fully extended, and uses a great twist and lock mechanism, which means there are no protruding knobs or levers to snag on anything. I've also topped it off with the excellent Manfrotto 494RC2 Ball Head
Fully extended, it is the perfect height for my 6ft 1" frame. So I'm pretty much good to go, and never leave home without them!

A super slick stick, the Velbon Ultra Stick L50

The excellent Manfrotto 494RC2 Ball Head

I made myself a neat strap that utilizes the Manfrotto 200PL release plate, which has a strong metal D ring underneath for tightening the thread onto your camera. It uses easily available 1 inch black webbing, a few black plastic buckles and a very strong Acetal plastic snap hook so there's no metal parts banging against your precious camera!

Manfrotto QD plate with D-ring and snap hook from home made strap

Based on other designs I've seen costing over £50, I have made quite a few very cheaply and use them for my binoculars too. In use, the camera hangs down your side and is very quickly brought up to shooting position with one hand. When I mount the camera to my monopod, I unclip the strap, attach the already fixed plate into the Ball Head, clip the strap to the monopod and away I go!

Also works well when wearing a rucksack or underneath a jacket when it's raining.

I find this much better than having the camera banging against my chest all day!

Any reservations you may have about the strength of the tripod mounting thread on the HS10, or the D ring and snap hook, have been dispelled by months of trails and long walks, with no signs of weakness at all!

The only slight inconvenience is the QD plate must be removed to change the batteries - a once a day occurrence at most.... more about batteries later!

Even with monopod attached it is still easy to carry, and ready at a moments notice

Here are some of the first shots taken with the HS10/ Velbon/Manfrotto combo;

this is a full wideangle of the RSPB visitor center (middle, on the horizon),

at Rainham Marshes in Essex UK,

on a dullish overcast day.

672 yds to the Visitor Center, as measured on Google Earth

This is at full zoom (30x) from same position.

This is full zoom plus 2x digital

As you can see from these not so interesting pics (one of my first real attempts to compare the zoom), the range is just what you need to bring in your subject from afar - so long as you keep a steady hand.

What amazes me is how on earth did Fuji manage to cram so much into such a compact lens? No wonder it won design awards!

Hear it is with an original Fuji sun shade/lens hood attached, which does not come with the camera (come on Fuji!). Mine stays on almost permanently via the bayonet fitting, which leaves enough room for attaching filters/converters and of course the lens cap. The hood can cause a slight shadow on the bottom of the pic when using the flash on close-ups - a minor inconvenience easily cured by removing it!

I also have a Hoya 58mm UV Filter, which stays on as a lens dust cover, and a Hoya 58mm PRO1 Digital Circular PL Filter, for those snowy/sunny countries, and days that don't occur too much over here, lol!

At no time have I ever experienced any vignetting at wideangle using these filters, something that constantly plagued my Minolta's 28-200mm (7x) lens. Basically I had to zoom in a little or do some cropping in post production, so that is another very welcome addition (or should I say "omission"?) to my upgrade! :-)

The following few pics are from a recent trip to North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, showing some full zoom shots and why it is so handy to have that extra reach when hiking in the wilderness!

Meadow Pipit, f/5.6, 1/240sec, ISO-200, 126mm (full zoom)

Another Meadow Pipit, f/5.6, 1/400sec, ISO-400, 126mm

Fulmar pair, f/5.6, 1/350sec, ISO-200, 126mm

Wheatear (was very windy), f/7.1, 1/950sec, ISO-200, 126mm

North Uist sunrise (honest!), f/7.1, 1/680sec, ISO-100, 126mm

Modes

Auto - there as a simple "point and shoot" mode, for beginners.

SR Auto - Scene Recognition, similar to the normal Auto, but cleverly adjusts settings to suit the scene.

Adv - Advanced "point and shoot" with sophisticated techniques, Pro Low-Light, Multi Motion Capture and Motion Remover. Have tried all three, but only the Pro Low Light worked to any effect on my camera and not that well then! It takes 4 consecutive shots and combines them to form a single exposure. Good in theory but maybe I need some more practice? Shame about the other two as well, the Motion modes could be a lot of fun - further firmware updates needed ....(are you listening Fuji?)

SP1/SP2 Scene Position - here we have a multitude of pre-set scene modes, from Portrait, Landscape, Night, Sport, Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Flower and Text.
Set SP1 for your favorite scene mode (mine is Landscape), and SP2 for the next (Sunset), then they are instantly available when needed.

Motion Panorama - this has become a common feature on cameras recently, even in our mobile phones, but it still has a way to go before it is a reliable replacement for post production stitching software. For a start, it only works on wideangle. The image is at a much lower resolution and is reliant on how smooth you can pan the camera. There are 4 options to which direction you wish to pan: right, left, up and down.
My favorite trick is to hold the camera in portrait position and select the up or down direction. Still pan right or left, this way the end result is a larger image than if used in landscape.
But it is temperamental, and usually only works the once properly. A restart is needed to take another panoramic shot (more firmware magic needed!).

P S A M - no need to explain much here. Pretty much every camera has these settings for Program AE, Shutter Priority, Aperture and Manual. My preference has always been P for most of my work. I'm sure my images would benefit more from experimenting with the others!

Custom - which is exactly that - sets your camera how you like it. Save the settings in Custom and it will always be there at the turn of the mode dial.
Surely there is a golden opportunity to give this setting more options? I'm sure every photographer out there has more than one favorite setting, so why not write it into the firmware to have a limitless number - or at least 10 to start with! Accessed by pressing the "Menu" button, select the one you want with the small mode dial........lets hope Fuji are listening?

I'm also disappointed about the content of the EXIF files - the hidden properties that are embedded within each jpeg or Raw file. Unless I'm missing something when viewing them on my Win 7 laptop, there is nothing listed next to Digital Zoom (even when I know I've used it!), 35mm focal length, or Subject distance. If anyone has any ideas as to why this is, and how it can be fixed, I would be most appreciative!

A menu option to include the Macro or Teleconverter lenses to the EXIF data before shooting would be nice also. It does get a little difficult to remember which lens you used for which photo when looking through the results on you PC a day or two later!......or am I just getting old?

You can see several missed "stitches" on this pic of a Loch in Scotland, saw a wild Otter moments before this was taken!

This one is a bit better, North Uist with the tide out!

The next three pics are stitched together with the free HUGIN software

Still a slight dark cast around the stitch area, but much better result!

Have to keep an eye on the returning tide, or you can be caught out!

Make use of the wonderful early morning light!

Macro

Macro for me has become a hobby all on it's own, and the HS10 has only heightened my enthusiasm.

Two options available here: normal Macro and Super Macro.

The Macro setting comes in handy, even outside normal macro ranges. When your subject is say around 5 yards or so and you want to zoom right in on it, you'll find that the camera will not focus down far enough to catch it. Turn on Macro, try again and it should come into focus.

Super Macro lets you get really close to the action, and can focus down to 1cm from the lens, admittedly, only at wideangle, but still, that is almost too close!

Emperor Dragonfly......the Ace around the pond!

Fuji's are generally well known for their vibrant colours

taken on another "dull day"

If your into Macro like I am, then additional macro lenses are a lot of fun to play with, namely the Raynox DCR-150 and Raynox DCR 250

They attach easily using sprung loaded clips that grip the inside thread of your 52-67mm lens or filter, centering it automatically.
The Raynox DCR-150 is the easiest to use, as the depth of field is slightly wider, meaning you will get more shots in focus when first starting out. The Raynox DCR 250 on the other hand, although it gets you incredibly close, has a focus range of around 1mm, so conditions need to be perfect, with good light, no wind, tripod, and a cooperative subject! Stick with it though, and you'll be rewarded with some spectacular results.

These are just a taste of what you can achieve. Room for lots of improvement I know, but they were hand held only at this stage!

Raynox DCR-150, Orb Spider.......and lunch!

Same lens but getting closer!

Raynox DCR-250, Blue Damselfly, less than 2 inches long

this is at a wider lens setting, notice the slight vignetting?

Same Damselfly, but with full zoom on the HS10 and DCR-250

see how I missed focus on the eyes and got it's neck instead!

They come packed in a tough plastic box, and I can get both into one saving space, so can't wait to take then on my next trip............. what fun I would have "had" in the Amazon Jungle?

Some other useful kit for taking better macro shots that I've been trying out recently, is the Benbo BEN106-Compact Trekker Mk3 tripod and a Macro 4 Way Slider Rail.

The Benbo BEN106-Compact Trekker Mk3 tripod is a little different from the norm, and takes some getting used to after a normal tripod. Built mainly to get your camera into nearly any position - even close to the ground like in the picture above - it does this with a special central arrangement that allows all three legs and off center column to be positioned at any angle. It is well built, lightweight, and the bottom parts of the legs are also sealed so you can stand them in mud and water with no problem.

It does not however, stand that tall - 114cm being the max - without any additional ball head or 4 Way Slider. But when you consider the range it has, all the way down to ground level, it's about as universal as you can get for its size and weight!
Maybe not quite compact enough to become a traveling tripod, but I thought you might like to see it anyway!

Special linkage system of the Benbo allows independent placement of all 4 sections

The Macro 4 Way Slider Rail, although a basic piece of kit, when mounted on the Benbo and using the Raynox lenses (especially the DCR-250) it gives you that very necessary minute control over focusing distance for the best results. We're talking about half a millimeter between a good or missed shot, so any assistance to take the human element out of the equation is good. Oh, and don't forget to use the 2 sec timer too, that gives enough time after the shutter release button has been pressed for the camera to settle before the shot is taken.
Not really something you would take traveling though, as it's a little bulky!

Two dials for forward-back, left-right, very handy for when your subject is as small as an Ant!

The combination of this set-up, along with the Raynox lenses, should yield some good results. They are not up to pro standards by any means, but as a starter into Macro photography, they are great! I haven't actually got round to giving it much of a test yet, as the weather conditions have not been very favorable (too windy), but will post some when I do!

Here are a collection of random Macros with the HS10:

Shallow DOF makes for great backgrounds!

Inside a Poppy

Macro......it's another world!

Close up of Pyramid Orchid, each flower here is about the size of an average fingernail!

Red-veined Darter, very nice of him to pose for me!

Parent taking kids to school in family 8 wheeler!!

Sony VCL-DH1758 Conversion Lens

Over much deliberation and research done with a few friends on dpreview, I bought this converter for a little extra reach. I know what your thinking......"why do you need even more magnification when you already have a 30x lens?" Well, when you get a new toy like the HS10, you like to add a few accessories, and I was interested in getting that little bit extra for shots of the moon, birds and all those creatures that are not too fond of close human contact. I have to say, it has been a worthy addition!

The model number 1758, denotes the magnification - 1.7x, and the lens thread size - 58mm, so screws straight onto the HS10 lens, or in my case, onto the UV filter thread.

As you can see, it makes for quite a unit, and although it is not really that heavy (8.9oz, 250g), it is best to support the whole lens just in case it adds unnecessary strain on the main body and lens zoom mechanism.
I use mine with a versatile Cam-Pod bean bag - another useful travel aid for the photographer - as it is filled with HDPE plastic beads, so there is no problem getting through airports like if your bag were filled with dried beans!

As with most telephoto converter lenses, there is vignetting at around 300mm and lower, which is fine, as there is no point in going below that anyway. Most of the time this will be used at full zoom (720mm, 126mm, 30x), and again, you will need a tripod for best results as we now have a max zoom of 51x! (30 x 1.7)

There's not really much more I can say about this converter lens, other than I like it....a lot!
Combined with the HS10, it records good results. Nothing to touch a DSLR of course, but then show me a brand new DSLR and lens combo that has the same size, reach and price as the HS10, and we'd probably be talking about that instead!

I make no excuse for the majority of my subjects being birds, it's become more than a "flight of fancy!".........pun intended :-)

Short Eared Owl hunting over the fields on North Uist.......
shot at around 250yds, standing, with monopod in windy conditions!

A rare sighting of a Sea Eagle, I just happened to have the Sony DCR-1758 fitted on the camera when I saw the giant wings soaring way above me, bracing myself against an old stone wall, manual focus, this was best of the bunch, before it was gone!

I really wish I had this set-up a few years ago when on a round the world trip. I was in New Zealand, on a hike above Queenstown with an American lady (Hi Lynne!), when I looked up and saw a Wedge-tailed Eagle (very similar to the Sea Eagle above) I knew what it was immediately as I had seen lots of them in Tasmania a few months before. It then dawned on me that NZ only has three birds of prey - the NZ Falcon, Harrier and the Morepork owl - so I hurriedly took some snaps of the distant soaring beast with my Minolta, and later reported it to the Department of Conservation.

My statement was taken and photos were duly downloaded, but they were almost useless, even if the ranger did confirm that the pics were definitely not of the 3 known species. Now if I could have submitted pics like the one above, it would have been a done deal!!

Update, the Ornithological Society of NZ have contacted me only this week. It seems my submission is going up for appraisal this month (August 2010), so keep you fingers crossed?

Birds in flight are difficult at the best of times, this Hobby was snapped at Rainham Marshes hunting dragonflies (monopod)

The humble Starling, must be the most widespread of all the birds!

Wheatear (monopod)

My best moon shot to date!

Continuous Shooting (Burst Mode)

Five settings here:
Off - for normal shooting of single frame.
Top 7 - with 10, 7, 5 or 3 fps.
Best frame capture - starts recording pics when you press the shutter release button half way down, and records a pre-set amount before and after pressing the shutter release fully.
Zoom Bracketing - basically 2 instant options of digital zoom, 1.4x and 2x, both in wide or tall mode.
AE Bracketing - each press of the shutter button takes 3 shots, one at the metered value for exposure, one underexposed, and another overexposed.

Having pre-set my option of 5 frames a second when going through the initial menu setup, I promptly forgot about High Speed shooting - until I walked down to my friends pond one day. There sat a Drake Mallard, looking like he was about to launch himself at the sky. I quickly selected the option, zoomed in and focused on the Drake sitting on the water, and off he went. I pressed the shutter release, panning with him as he made a diagonal dash of about 45 degrees to the left, here are the results:

No editing of any sort, straight from the camera. I know they would have benefited from a faster shutter speed to limit the blur, but there wasn't enough time. I'm pretty happy with my first attempt!

Batteries

There were some concerns over battery life in the HS10's infancy, but I have not found them. I already had some of the preferred and excellent Sanyo Eneloop Batteries and a good slow charger - the Technoline BL700 for use with a multitude of gadgets - so I had no hesitation in using them with the HS10.

A lot of people are unaware (I was one till recently!), that the way you charge a battery has a definitive effect on the life of said battery. Fast chargers do as their name suggests, but are not conducive to long life. So, even though the Technoline BL700 is a bit more expensive, it pays for itself in keeping your battery collection in tip top shape.

With 200, 500 and 700mh charge settings, Refresh mode, Discharging and testing modes, where each individual AA/AAA NiCd and NiMH battery is checked simultaneously. It has an LCD screen which provides real time progress of each cell, and automatically changes to trickle charge when battery is full.

I think there are a few obvious settings on the HS10 that will gobble up juice like the LCD screen and Continuous Auto-focus (I only use either when absolutely necessary). A fully charged set of Eneloops has always lasted more than a full day, sometimes two! Plus they are built to hold their charge much longer, only losing 10% after 6 months, 15 % after 12. Now that's super efficient compared to disposables!

There is a battery type option in the setup menu: Lithium, Alkaline or Rechargeable Ni- MH. Not quite sure what difference it makes if it's set to one value and you use a different type, but it's there anyway and I'm not about to test the options on mine!

Other types of battery will do the job too, but don't seem to last quite as long. The Eneloops are very reasonably priced, and work out extremely cheap when you take into account they can be charged many times over, saving loads of money in the long run - and countless tonnes of toxic waste in our landfills. In my mind, disposable batteries should be banned!

Another concern for many was the battery bay door. It does seem a bit flimsy, even loose, but it has worked flawlessly. No problems there, just extra care is needed!
The low battery warning light came on very early, before the latest firmware update (1.02) corrected it in most cases.

I must admit I was not a big fan of AA batteries in cameras. Their performance in the past was mediocre compared to the High Capacity Long Life lithium-Ion types supplied by most manufacturers, but the HS10 and Eneloop's has swayed me otherwise.

Firstly, I've lost count of the different types of dedicated Lithium batteries there are. For each new camera a company brings out there seems to be another new battery. Come on people, we're not that stupid! For goodness sake, let's see some collaboration here, and stick with a few standard models. Better still, forget them altogether and change to AA's. They are almost as good these days, and much easier to source when in a foreign land when you've just run out and forgot to pack the spare set! (Although I'm not condoning buying disposables, but if you have to, please dispose of them in a safe and sensible manor! ;-)

So, have I been converted..................you betcha!!

SDHC

Unlike Lithium batteries, SDHC memory cards are gradually becoming "the" standard across most camera manufacturers, which is great to see. Not only are they smallish and compact (nothing like the Micro version though), they now have great capacity for a reasonable price, and with cameras coming with 14 megapixels and over these days, we need larger and faster memory to cope!

The instructions inform us that we need a "Class 4" or higher SD or SDHC card for the HS10, mainly to help with write speeds and HD video I assume. So I opted for the Sandisk 8gb Extreme Class10 30mb/s edition, just to be on the safe side!
It is fast, reliable, and slots right into my laptops card reader, so it is a cinch to copy over my pics and video. Also uses no battery power that way!

Flash

Being a bit of a naturalist in my photographic ways, I don't get to use the flash that often. Even though I know that nearly all good photos need good light (probably another reason why my batteries last longer!) I often get a bit flustered about which is the best setting. So I'm not really the best person to ask with regards to "flashing anything!" Still a lot to learn there, but I have had a go a few times with the HS10 (like you do!) using the SP1/SP2 Scene mode, Natural and Flash. This takes two consecutive shots, one without flash, the other with, from a single press of the shutter release.

Result is below, taken at a Living Roof training day my friends John and Dusty (in the foreground) ran down in Brighton earlier this year;

Without flash.....

.......with flash!

I was quite surprised at how far the flash reached towards the back of the room, especially as this was my first attempt with no other change of settings. Must definitely experiment more with this!

My next attempt was at a private folk music festival, and I didn't really get my camera out till the early hours, by which time it was seriously dark and the live music was getting very heavy (for a folk festival!) Beard of Slugs were doing some Metalica covers, and in hindsight, I should have used the AF-Assist Illuminator which temporarily lights up the subject for better focusing.... next time!

Beard of Slugs, rockin into the early hours!........a good night!!

Sometimes flash is not an option, so setting a higher ISO does the trick (f/5.6, 1/210sec, ISO-800, 55mm)

Conclusion

I've tried to give you an honest account of my thoughts about the HS10, a camera that has provoked more emotions worldwide, for and against, than any other camera I have ever known!
I too got excited when I heard about this new 30x zoom camera coming from Fuji last February, and along with thousands of others, searched the Internet for any relevant information. It was slow coming!

dpreview was my savior. There I found that I was not alone, in fact, I was far from being alone!

I made new friends in the Fujifilm Talk forums there, exchanging views and new news, anything that was connected with the mystical HS10.

Soon it was out, but where?......"Thailand!" Some early pics filtered through, so-so to start with, but not really any solid proof on the cameras performance. We will have to wait a bit longer!

Slowly it started to spread, China, Japan, then........Poland????

Casting it's spell over the masses, a spell so powerful that most places that advertised it's coming sold out their first, second and some their third deliveries just to pre-orders!

Europe waited, impatiently, while things in America reached fever pitch as the HS10 dropped in their hands next. Some were overly seduced by it's good looks and huuuuuuge lens, others were more resistant, had a quick look and returned it straight away, their curiosity quenched!

Those that stuck with it though, started to turn out some good pictures. Like with every camera, it takes a while to learn. We all knew it had some problems, mainly firmware related, and still hoped that these would be fixed in due time!

Finally it reach the UK. A mad rush of excitement, and the first batch went to a TV shopping channel (very strange!) and further shipments were nowhere to be seen. Weeks went by and at last I managed to secure one through Jessops. Paid a little more than Amazon were offering it for, but hey, I'd waited long enough!

As mention at the beginning of this post, first impressions were good. It just felt good in the hands, and not just because it was shiny and new and expectations were high. It still feels a good camera to hold today, for me anyway! It did and still does have some issues, mainly soft/firmware related, but the basic camera works very well, or should I say "much better than my old Minolta" ? And thats all I wanted!

It was not really a fair test for my aged Minolta. It had had it's day - and did a mighty fine job, from the temples of Thailand, Peru and Mexico, to the amazing natural landscapes of New Zealand, the Americas and the Amazon, and it had done it without missing a beat. The only limiting factor in it's performance was me!!!!!

Yes, it was only an 8mp, 7x zoom camera, but for me at the time, that was the the best there was!
I wished for more zoom, megapixels and a larger LCD screen, and now I've got them!

Now, as you know, I'm no pro. Making money from my photos would be great, but thats not why I like photography. It's a hobby. I can combine three of the my most favorite things to do all at once: nature, travel and taking pics (there is a forth, but I can't write that here! ;-)
I'm happiest when surrounded by wilderness in a far off land, not knowing what I will see next, and with my camera at the ready!........I like it because it's fun!

The HS10 is a fun camera, and that is the whole point. Yes it has it's flaws, but thats all part of the challenge, and that lens just gets in there when you need it. I don't want a camera that takes perfect pics every time (as if there is such a thing?), and I'm not interested in crystal clear, pixel perfect Raw/Raf/Tiff sized images that I can print up on a billboard the size of a house. I'm more interested in the photo's content, it's composition and learning how to improve that. If it looks good on my laptop screen, I'm happy! I'll leave all that other stuff to the multitude of other photographers who are much better at it than I....................that's um.... pretty much everyone then, lol!!

So, is the HS10 worth buying? Depends on where your coming from!
Will it replace a DSLR?....No, but then it was never meant to. It does handle just like one though and could be a handy addition, for those days when you really just want to leave your large and heavy bag of lenses and equipment at home.
Can it do a bit of everything?....Sort of! Kind of a jack of all trades, master of none. Although it is very good at macro, not so good in low light, but that lens can get you into places only dreamed of before!
Lets face it, a good photographer can take much better photos with a cheap mobile phone than the best and most expensive camera in the world in the hands of an amateur!............Think about it?

Would I part with my HS10.............not on your life!!

.......................well, not until the new HS20 comes out that is! ;-)

Pros
Zoom range - 24-720mm.
Manual zoom.
Large 3" tilting LCD screen
Size, weight, and handling.
Direct Shooting Buttons.
Flash.
Macro.
Good selection of modes.
AA batteries.
HD video and instant movie record button.
High speed video up to 120fps.
HDMI out
High speed shooting @ up to 10fps.
RAW if needed
Zoom Bracketing.
Price - is now cheaper than I paid for my old Minolta A1 7 years ago!

Cons
EVF viewfinder - too small and dull.
Write times a little slow, but you get used to it.
Needs good light for best results.
Some firmware issues, mostly with the new modes like Panorama, Motion Remover,
and Multi Motion Capture, may be fixed by further updates.
Tripod mount not central to lens.....?
No lens shade as standard.
No wireless remote.

Hope this has been of some interest? if so, please feel free to leave any comments below, and please help support this blog/website by purchasing any of the products listed through the links provided.

I do get a very small commission, which helps to keep this site running.

Many thanks and happy shooting.

Fuji HS10 at Amazon.co.uk

Fuji HS10 at Amazon.com

Fuji HS10 at Warehouseexpress

Fuji HS10 at PurelyGadgets

Fuji HS10 at Jessops

Fuji FinePix HS10, could this be the ultimate digital camera for travellers?

2010-02-25T14:56:00.081Z

Fujifilm FinePix HS10

My beloved Minolta A200 8MP 7x may well be retiring soon, as I have just come across what might be the almost perfect replacement and ideal travel companion!

An ideal travelling camera should in my opinion, be a jack of all trades, compact, all in one unit, with few extras that add to the weight and can get easily lost, and bridge cameras fit this bill quite nicely.

Yes, DSLR's can take better pictures in most cases, but the gap is narrowing, and do you really want to carry all the extra lenses with you everywhere you go?, sods law denotes that the lens you need right now is the one still in your bag, and by the time you swap them over, the moment is lost!

Each to their own of course, I'm sure there are many who would never go back from an SLR, and thats fine, I have never gone down that route.....yet!, and like the lightweight medium sized single package, with fixed manual zoom long lenses which keep out the dust, dirt and sand.

Cost is another factor, prices are very reasonable now for DSLR's, but there are not many of us who can really manage the full kit, especially as some lenses are triple and more times the cost of the camera itself.

These are all my own personal preferences for the ideal travelling camera, and in my opinion, the HS10 is the closest to being just that!

Due for release April 12th 2010, the Finepix HS10 has a host of features both familiar and new that has me literally drooling over the prospects!

•High Resolution super wide Fujinon 30x optical zoom (24-720mm) with manual (mechanical) zoom
•True wide-angle and extreme telephoto capture in a single compact unit
•Triple image stabilisation (sensor shift IS, high ISO IS, Digital IS)

•10 MP BSI CMOS sensor with advanced shooting modes and high image quality
•3.0" High Resolution tilting LCD
•Electronic Viewfinder with eye-sensor for automatic switching
•High speed 10 fps continuous shooting at full resolution and new motion-tracking auto focus
•Full HD (1080p) movie capture with stereo sound
•Super High Speed movie capture at 1000 fps
•Motion Panorama mode for 'one shot' sweeping panoramas
•Advanced capture modes including unique Motion Remover mode that removes tourists and other moving objects from your photographs

•Direct Shooting Command buttons and Command dial put advanced photographic features at your fingertips
•RAW and JPEG capture mode

At last a manufacturer has brought out what seems on paper, to be the ultimate camera for the traveller, a surprisingly compact bridge design (medium sized, fixed lens), a whopping great 30x optical manual zoom lens that should cater for virtually any situation (I'm not dishing DSLR's here, but you would have to carry 2 maybe 3 separate lenses to cover what this one fixed Fujinon beauty can do!), a 3" tilting LCD screen, triple image stabilisation (especially useful at the higher magnifications), full 1080p HD, Super Macro, and a host of intuitive manual buttons to instantly change the most frequently used settings, instead of all that tedious menu scrolling!

Other useful additions include;

High speed continuous shooting at a rate of 10fps, 7 frames max, to make sure you capture that perfect moment when your shooting a moving object, perfect for capturing birds and animals which never seem to sit still.

Motion Remover Mode, which takes a series of 5 pictures and combines them into one and automatically removes anything that has moved, a cool thing to have when you want that special holiday snap and tourist's keep walking into shot!

Multi-Motion Capture Mode, which takes 5 quick pictures of a moving object and combines them into a single composite image.

Motion Panorama Mode, sweep left-right or up-down for that super panorama shot, all done in camera.

Pro Low Light mode, for ultra-low noise output in low light.

Ultra slow motion video capture, at up to 1000fps, admittedly this will not be in HD of course, but still a pretty cool feature to play with.

Super Macro, focuses down to 1cm-1.0m

Check out all the features at FujiFilm, including a 3D image and promotion video.

Whether this camera lives up to it's extensive feature list, is still to be seen, as it's April release date nears, I for one will be checking my regular review sites for the reports, and secretly saving my pennies!

Are there things that at first glance I would change, sure, there are few things in this world that are perfect, personally (and I'm nit picking here), I would like automatic Geo-tagging to be included, and maybe a swivelling LCD screen as I mainly use the viewfinder to save battery power and it would add a little more extra protection when it's folded, screen side towards the camera, a good quality screen saver like the excellent invisibleSHIELD is a good alternative.

A wireless remote would be a nice accessory too, to aid in crystal clear telephoto shots of small long distance targets in conjunction with a tripod, this could spell an end to Digiscopeing?

The end of the lens barrel is threaded O58mm for the inclusion of filters and converters, how long the AA batteries will last has been quoted at 300+ , maybe more with rechargables, disposable AA's are easily available everywhere, but your never really sure what sort of charge they have in them, even the expensive ones, anyone purchasing a HS10 (or anything else that uses disposable batteries) should invest in quality rechargeables like the Sanyo Eneloop Batteries, if only to save the landfills!

At this time it also lacks a microphone jack, which could be rather handy if the HD video works well, but it does have a hotshoe for a flashgun.

I know there must be some manufacturers that worry about their mid to lower range of cameras taking too big a slice out of their DSLR market, thats why they are not as feature rich as the higher end models, and as far as I know, Fuji do not have any plans to release a DSLR in the near future, so it looks like this could be their flagship model, and if this creates as big a stir when it's released as it has already, then I think Fuji could be onto a winner!

Lets hope they listen to all the feedback for future models...........wouldn't that be nice?

Exciting times ahead in the bridge digital camera market, my trusty Minolta is sulking in the corner, feeling rather............impotent!

Please support this site by pre-ordering or buying through one of these affiliate retailers;

Amazon.UK will deliver to United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Republic of), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland

Warehouseexpress.UK will deliver to United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands), Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland

HS10 at Pixmania available in 26 countries

For the US readers

Fujifilm FinePix HS10 at Amazon.com will deliver to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom

Many thanks

Check out the Fujifilm Talk forums, and the HS10 debates going on over at dpreview

Lots of new pictures being posted every day!

SOME NEW KIT !

2010-02-23T00:50:00.013Z

An update on some new kit that has come my way recently, the Leatherman Skeletool CX, Gerber Pocket Sharpener, Titanium Spork, Tilley Winter Hat and the 7Dayshop 10x42 Waterproof binoculars!

The Leatherman Skeletool CX is a lightweight bare bones multitool, having the usual needlenose pliers, wire cutters, bit driver, bottle opener/carabina, belt clip and a 154CM Stainless Steel Combo Blade, all with a Tungsten Dlc Scratch-Resistant Coating.

First impressions are good, it fits very well in the hand, even if it does look like a handfull of sharp edges, as every surplus part has been swiss cheesed to keep it lightweight, the main blade opens nicely with one hand from a closed position, and is very, very sharp out of the box, so sharp in fact, I had no trouble shaving the hairs of the back of my hand, a test that few others have been capable of!

The half serated blade is better quality than normal, being made of 154CM Stainless Steel and comes into it's own for mariners and climbers, as it cuts rope with ease, and I can see it being clipped on by the carabina in these situations, rather than using the nylon belt pouch (also included).

The pliers are narrower than those on the Wave, with the usual soft and hard wire cutters, and the fixed lockable bit driver is suplied with two double ended bits, one flat and one Philips.

£61 from Amazon

Light My Fire Spork Titanium

My first Spork (plastic version) traveled with me around the world, but unfortunately snapped in half while in my backpack pocket somewhere in New Zealand, not sure how or why it happened, it had already made an impression, and was well worth the inclusion into my Top Travel Gear list.

I came accross this Titanium version from Light My Fire recently, which seemed the next logical step, not much chance of this baby spapping in two!!

For those of you not familiar with the Spork concept, it has a spoon at one end and a combined short fork/serrated knife at the other, generally it is better if you decide which end you need before starting to eat, as it could get a little messy!

£11 from Amazon

Gerber Pocket Sharpener

This compact knife sharpener by Gerber is the simplest way to keep all your knife edged tools in tip top shape, it has course and fine grade ceramic rods set at the perfect angle for a razor sharp edge, 3 or 4 firm pulls is all that is needed to bring most blades back to new, my Leatherman Wave was able to shave the hairs off the back of my hand at the first try!

Another bargain at Amazon for £2.49

Tilley TW2 Winter Hat

Tilley have done it again, this time they've made a comfortable winter hat, that repels rain and stains, while keeping your noggin bone dry and as warm as toast.

We all know that most of the bodies heat is lost through the head, and with the recent cold spell, this has done a fine job.

With the hidden fold down forehead warmer and ear flaps, it really does do a good job of keeping the cold out!
I have the Dark Olive, a birthday present from the family, and have to say that it is one of the warmest hats I have ever worn!

Available in Autumn Tweed, Dark Olive or Brown/Black Herringbone from Pack Your Bags for £48.99

7dayshop 10x42 Waterproof Binoculars

I came across these almost by accident, and after a little research ordered a pair, and I have to say I was pleasently suprised!

These days, you normally get what you pay for, so it's always nice when you find something that performs well above it's price bracket, and these beauties certainly do that!

There is no point in compairing build and picture quality with the likes of Leica's, Swarovski or even my beloved Bushnell's, but for this sort of price, they can be forgiven, as they give a clear bright picture, even if the view is a little narrow due mainly to the 10x magnification, it is more than adequate though, and perfect for any traveler on a tight budge.

It really is amazing how anyone can produce a decent binocular for anything around £60-£70, but these guys have found one for under £25, and at that price, they make a great gift or you can keep a pair in your car, a pair on your boat, even a pair for the kitchen, for keeping an eye on the bird life in your garden!

£21.49 at Amazon, and yes, that is correct!

Community Websites for the traveller, WAYN & Couchsurfing

2009-10-26T14:07:00.006Z

There are many different types of traveller, and I guess over the years, I have fallen into a few of those categories myself!

In my early 20's, my first experience in a foreign country was a 2 week trip to Rhodes in Greece with a couple of good friends from school, sun, sea, sand and Ouzo was the order of the day, and so it was for many years after.

Next came a sudden change, I was made redundant but received a nice payoff, so went on a 3 week trip to Kenya, something I had been longing to do for ages, which sparked up the adventurer in me!

The next stage went back to the sun, sea, and sand, as I had a partner in tow, but I have never been one for lying on a beach all day, and you could always find me in the rock pools, snorkeling or combing the beach for things of interest!

Years flew by, and then I found myself all alone once more, but this time we had the wonders of the modern world to help us along, the Internet had opened up another universe for the intrepid traveller. Wiser and ready for a proper adventure, I searched for more trips and came across a 9 week trek round America and Canada.

This trip more than any other, left it's profound mark, not least because of the places I visited, but also because of the people I met along the way!
I met an English girl on this tour, and it was she who put me onto WAYN, Where Are You Now, an online travelling community, which has grown to host over 15 million members now, twice that of when I first joined over 4 years ago!

Thanks Gem, for introduced me to WAYN.

I never even contemplate a trip these days without consulting the huge WAYN database, donated mostly by it's members, it is the most up to date information you will find about flights, travel guides, travel tools, travel videos, the country, main cities, towns, where to go, what to do, what not to do, and where to stay, etc. etc.

All these extras are great for the budding traveller, but it is the friendships you make here that are priceless! I currently have nearly 200 friends on WAYN, and have never been disappointed when meeting any of them in person, in fact, this is the best thing about all my trips now, as I try to meet as many as I can, wherever I go!

My last big trip, was an 8 month round the world to 10 countries, and soon after adding the trip details on my WAYN profile, I started to receive messages from other members in those countries, especially from South America, giving advice on things to do and see, so I was quite busy for a while, writing back saying a big thank you and asking questions, before long, I had made many new friends and had several offers of personal tour guides when I arrive!

Well, I don't know about you, but it a wonderful feeling to have a friendly face waiting for you at the airport when you arrive, and that’s exactly what happened in 4 of the 10 countries I visited, plus I met with other members too, they were only too willing to share their cultures with me, showing me all the sites, taking me to find the nicest food, which trails and trips are the best, how much I should be paying for a room or taxi (some even let me crash at their place), basically, everything a good guide book should tell you, but more up to date and with a bigger smile.... lol.

As an active member, and keen Photographer, I remember writing to the founder members (Jerome Touze, Mike Lines and Peter Ward) about ratings and comments of members photos (before they had them), and lo and behold, they soon added this feature! This is so unlike many organisations, these guys actually listen to their members, and have recently asked what they could do to make the site a better place for everyone, this resulted in a new, leaner and cleaner looking experience, with many newly added features.

It is free to join, but if you wish, for an annual fee, you can become a VIP member which really does have it’s advantages, not least being the free multi-trip insurance!
They have even very kindly added a link to this site on their founders blog, so a big thank you guys, and keep up the good work!

Once in a while, you come across an idea where you think “why didn’t I think of that?”, well Couchsurfing is just one of those!

A simple idea, where members can search for a couch to sleep on when travelling to a foreign country. The Internet makes this easier to do today, as you have instant access to every member around the globe, and can search for a couch in the area your looking for, that’s not to say that every couch is available, it is completely down to the couch owner whether they accept you or not, you just have to ask nicely, and start a correspondence to win them over, that and have a great profile!

A lot of thought must have gone into the concept, as it could be a dangerous pass time for single travellers, but it is pretty much self regulating, members can get verified, and the more positive references one receives, the better chance you have of the couch owner accepting you to stay!

I have met many Couchsurfers, and all have had very positive experiences, making many new friends along the way, I guess if you’re the sort of person who offers a couch in the first place, then your probably a traveller too, and in my experience, they are already pretty nice people anyway!

As with WAYN, Couchsurfing is all about meeting people, and this is a wonderful way to give back as well as receive from fellow like minded people from all over the world, and the friendships you will make…………..will be priceless!

Scottevest Essential Jacket, with pockets galore!!

2009-08-24T16:38:00.039+01:00

Scottevest Essential jacket
I came across this smart Essential jacket from Scottevest the other day, while doing some research for this site, the main thing that interested me was the excess of handy pockets, 19 in all!!

With a Weight Management System® built into the shoulders, it evenly distributes the weight of whatever you fill the pockets with, making it hard for anyone to see what your carrying, and the PAN (Personal Area Network) System® lets you run headset wires up through the lining and out the collar for tangle-free listening. Lightweight and breathable, it's made of brushed cotton/nylon with a polyester lining and Teflon® coating for water and stain resistance.

It is machine washable and has removable arms for when the weather is warmer, and should prove a winner for travelers, especially traveling to and from America, as there are many flights now that are banning hand luggage, so just load up the pockets, and when you get to customs, just send your jacket through the X-ray machine, simple!
I was hoping to try my jacket on a recent trip to Russia, unfortunately it did not arrive on time (my fault!), so will post my review after giving it a few outings back home, initial thoughts are very good, the fit and feel is fine, and seems to be well made, with pockets for everything except the kitchen sink!

I have since used the Essential Jacket a few times, and have to say it is all they say it is, haven't used all the pockets, if fact, I'm not sure I've even found them all yet, but the fit and feel is very comfortable, even when loaded, the Weight Management System works well!

Magellan's is the only place I know of at the moment that stocks the full range, even though they are American based, they do ship around the world at a reasonable rate.

As for sizing, I am normally a Medium, but have long arms due to my height (6' 1", 40" chest and slim), and I bought a large just to be on the safe side, and it fits fine!

Womens Essential jacket
For the ladies interested in such a jacket, Scottevest do an 18-pocket Essential Jacket, in Sand, Black and Red Rock, with the same great features (have no idea where the 19th pocket went!!)

Men's Evolution jacket
The Evolution Jacket has even more pockets, and is more of a colder/wetter weather version of the Essential Jacket, as it's fully lined.

It still comes with detachable sleeves but also has a detachable hood, and is as waterproof as can be, only the zipper and joins where the sleeves zip on stop it from being fully waterproof, these would have to be taped and sealed for that! Needless to say, it will still probably be the most waterproof jacket you own!

The material is called ENAFF, New Advanced Functional Fabric (I think they added the E to the acronym to make it sound better!), it is a super soft laminated polyester weave, a little like GoreTex, but lesser known as it's quite new, it is lightweight, breathable, windproof, waterproof and environmentally safe, which all adds to the comfort of the user.

It has the same Weight Management and PAN (Personal Area Network) System® as the Essential, and as far as I can tell from the many YouTube videos on them, you can get everything from your iPod/iPhone to a laptop in the purpose built pockets!

Well done to Scottevest for turning the humble jacket pocket into a purpose built holder/case for all our modern day gadgets, 18-19-25 pockets in a range of outer wear to suit all our needs, I've even seen snippets here and there of a 30 pocket solar powered version, where a flexible solar panel across the back charges an internal battery to supply all your gizmo's, wow!...............I'll keep you posted when I know more!

The Latest Gear you might not have heard of before!

2009-07-20T18:19:00.071+01:00

On this post I want to bring you any cool kit I might come across that might be of interest to you, my readers.

I'm subscribed to many newsletters that cover a wide variety of products relevant to Top Travel Gear, and every once in a while, something sparks an interest, mainly because it combines many functions in a more compact and economical way, or is super tough, just what is needed for the discerning adventurer/traveler.

Please return often for updates and special offers.

The Worlds first camera to come with WiFi Bluetooth and Geo-tagging capabilities the Samsung ST1000
One day, I think most cameras will come with Geo-tagging, a great way for travelers to share exactly where they took there pics, anywhere in the world.
Software that comes with the camera, can log your pics by time and date, giving you an instant map of your trip!

Landrover S1 Mobile Phone
About the toughest mobile phone you will ever come across, key features include a 2MP Camera with Flash - Built-in GPS with SIRF - Torch Light - FM Radio - Sonim Applications - MSD Card Slot (up to 2 GB) - J2ME Java Development toolkit and a 3 year unconditional guarantee
This is the first mobile phone rugged enough to be called a Land Rover and is recommended by Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

Unfortunately it's "Orange locked", but is free with an Orange contract, check it out at Amazon

Olympus Mju Tough 8000
This is one seriously tough digital camera! It's perfect for those really wanting to take things to the limit: waterproof to 10m, shockproofed against falls of a height up to 2m, freezeproof down to temperatures as low as -10°C and crushproof to withstand weights of up to 100kg, so whether your on the beach, piste, jungle trail, or whitewater rafting and snorkeling, it can take a veritable beating and still return excellent results.

Check out the Olympus Mju Tough 8000 here

Eye-Fi Home Video 4GB Wireless SDHC Memory Card
These SD cards have the unique feature of being able to upload your photos directly from your camera to your PC wirelessly.

You might think "well, I can use a cable or card reader for that!", and of course you can, but then that is more to carry on your trips, and how often have you rushed out with your camera and forgotten to put the card back in?

Keep the card in the camera at all times, which also keeps the dirt out, and simply turn the camera on when near your wireless conection, the card automatically uploads the pics to a designated folder on your PC, how easy is that?

There are 4 versions available, Home, Share Video, Explore Video and Pro, each have different feature sets, the Pro doing everything from video, RAW files, Geotagging, Hotspot access and Ad Hoc transfers, this comes at a cost of course, so choose carefully!

Eye-Fi Home Video 4GB available at Amazon

LED Lenser torches
Torches have come a long way since Cree LED's came on the scene, and if you haven't seen one in action yet....do!, you will be amazed at how much power comes out of such a compact torch!

I have been giving the LED Lenser T7
a going over these past few months, and it has done all I have asked and more! A mere 135mm x 37mm at it's widest (29mm main barrel), it blows the competition away with build quality, size and power. Rated at 170 lumen's, a range of over 700 feet (full power), and 130 hour battery life from 4 AAA's, on the lower power setting.
Built from aircraft grade Aluminium, it is built to last and will probably outlive it's user, it has a one hand focusing feature, plus the Cree LED's last for over 100,000 hours! Waterproof of course, and with a three position button on the end of the barrel, supplied with a lanyard and heavy duty canvas pouch for fitting to your belt or pack, this really is a serious piece of kit.

LED Lenser Police Tech Focus Torch
This is another fine torch in the LED Lenser series of compact torches, but without the lower power setting, still focusable, uses 3 AAA batteries, and as such, is selling for £27.99 inc p&p, it has great reviews, so grab one while you can!

Solar Powered Travel Bag
We all need to charge our mobile phones and Mp3 players etc. these days, wherever we are, so why not do it on the go with this 36 X 25 X 8cm travel bag which is available from Maplin. It comes with 1 x connecting cable 1 x USB adaptor and 3 x mobile phone adaptors (for Nokia, Samsung and Sony-Ericsson), the solar panel is situated on the flap and the charging can be done safely on the inside, roughly 5 hours for a full charge of most mobiles.

This simple idea could be a life saver, especially if you get lost in the outback or a jungle somewhere, and as we all know, your mobile always seems to be low on battery when we need it most!
I'm sure we will see this technology implemented in many more products in the future, as solar panels and batteries become smaller and more efficient, the top flap of a rucksack would be a good start!
Discontinued!!

Bushnell BackTrack
The Bushnell BackTrack is a simple device that uses GPS to ensure you can return to one of 3 specified locations with ease!.
What use is that? I hear you ask! well, I can think of quite a few!

Imagine you have arrived in a foreign city, your taxi takes you to your hotel/hostel/backpacker, you check-in, and want to take a walk into town, before you leave where your staying, go outside to get a better signal, press one of the BackTracks buttons for a few seconds to save your position, and go for your walk without having to worry about remembering the directions back!

When you wish to return, look at your BackTrack, and it will give you the direction and distance back to your lodgings, simple!

Use it on trails, in the jungle, at festivals, finding your car in big car parks or at shows, dive sites, basically, pinpoint any location you wish to return to!This is GPS in it's basic form, it's as easy as 1-2-3, mark it, leave it, and get back!
Compact and easy to carry(75 x 90 x 19), the Bushnell BackTrack stores and locates up to three locations at any one time, utilizes the latest digital technology, with high sensitivity SiRF Star III GPS receiver, self calibrating digital compass, works in meters or yards (99.9 max in both), is weather resistant, operates on 2 AAA Batteries (not Included), and is supplied with lanyard for ease of carrying, plus it wont break the bank!

Waterproof Fold-Drybag
We all have occasions when we need to keep things dry, well this great value set of 4 Drybags by Exped might be just the answer!XS (3 litres), S (5 litres), M (8 litres) and L (13 litres) covers most items from clothing and sleeping bags, to mobile phones and cameras, taped seems all around, soft but durable PU coated taffeta nylon, with a Hydrostatic head of 10 000mm.
Waterproof Fold-Drybag 4 Pack £19.99

FlareSafe Personal Safety Device
I came across this little item recently, a handy LED torch with 3 settings, full beam, half beam, and strobing, with a visibility of over 2km, but also comes with a built in personal/smoke alarm.

Built from water-resistant and shockproof military-grade plastics, this lightweight tool could be a lifesaver!

The distress and smoke alarm has a 120db Piezo-type sounder that can be heard up to 500mt away, and uses 2 AA batteries, plus a small lithium one that takes over for emergencies if the AA's run out.
Advanced software lets you know when the lithium is running low, so you always know when you are protected!

Ideal for any traveler who wishes to have a little personal reassurance in a dangerous environment, and think that the standard smoke detectors in the hotel/hostel/backpacker you are staying in (if any!) are not up to standard.
FlareSafe £41.40 at Amazon

Howsar Temporary Door Lock
While were on the subject of security, here is a small, simple, award winning and cheap device to lock most doors, anywhere you go!

The Howsar Temporary Door lock is made of 2 pieces of strong nylon, attached together with a cord so you don't lose either, it simply hooks into the door recess in the door frame, where the latch fits, then close the door and slide the curved wedge into the slotted receiver, simple!

Lets face it, we have all needed a device like this at one time or another, at home or abroad, even if the locks seem to work on the hotel room door, this can still be used for that extra piece of mind, or the backpackers toilet or shower room for a bit more privacy! (yes, we've all been there!)

Howsar Temporary Door Lock £4.99 at Pack Your Bags

Swiss World Travel Mains Adapter With USB Port - Covers More than 150 Countries

Self explanatory really, we all need travel adapters for a variety of electrical devices, this one even has a USB Port!

I've seen these available at over twice the price at airports, so why leave it till then?

£10.95 at Amazon

Katadyn Water Purification
Katadyn is a Swiss company and the global Number One when it comes to individualized water purification systems and products. Katadyn have been developing water filters, and other water purification products for travel, outdoor, camping and marine applications since 1928.

Plastic bottles are a major source of rubbish these days, filling up huge areas in landfill sites around the world, plus there are many scare stories and studies done, that tell of the dangers of re-using certain types of plastic bottles, just do a search on Google, and you will see what I mean!

Why not do your bit for the environment, and use local tap or clean river water, purified in one of of Katadyn's filtration bottles?

Katadyn Exstream Water Purifier Bottle £35.99

Katadyn Hiker Water Filter £43.99

Katadyn Mini Ceramic Water Filter £61.99

Footwear

2009-06-24T15:06:00.010+01:00

Boots, shoes, sandals and socks are one of the most important parts of any travel kit, many pay the price for overlooking this, with sores and blisters that can ruin your day or even the whole trip!

Look after your feet, and they will take you anywhere, so don't buy a new pair of boots just before you depart on a hiking holiday, try many types and makes until you find one that is comfortable right from the start and break them in a little before you go. The same goes for shoes/trainers and sandals too, there are some great adventure sandals available now, when the going gets tough and it's just too hot for boots.

My favorites are Merrell Kahuna's, water sandals built with a soft leather upper, neoprene lining, a compression molded EVA footframe and contains the added benefits of Microban® antimicrobial product protection.

My size 9 Kahuna for scale on a huge leaf in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore

I have walked many a mile over rough terrain in these, and the only problem I have had was of my own doing, I whacked them together to shake off some wet sand, and broke one of the adjustment buckles, a quick e-mail to Merrell later for a replacement buckle, ended in me sending the cleaned pair back to them, and soon got back a brand new pair free of charge!

Everyone has their favorite pair of walking boots, mine are the Brasher Hillmaster GTX, a full grain leather boot with a Gore-Tex lining, I walked round most of America in these without a single problem, and was going to take them on an 8 month round the world trip, but my friends dog had other ideas! One day I will replace them, probably with the Brasher Supalite GTX, my friends have these boots, and they wouldn't change them for anything!

My backup pair were Meindl Atlanta's, they were practically brand new, I had bought them while on a trip in Scotland many years ago, and never used them, but they soon got a thorough workout on the many hundreds of kilometers of hiking I did in Tasmania, New Zealand, Chile, Peru and Brazil. I still wear them today, and will continue to till they wear out and fall apart!

Another favorite walking shoe is the Merrell Moab Vent, more like a trainer for rougher terrain, ideal for any days out in warmer climes, the venting allows good air circulation and as with most Merrells, they are comfy right out of the box!

I wear these most days when on my trips or back home, and am now on my second pair, when they wear out, I will probably buy another pair, sometimes, "when something ain't broke, it don't need fixing!!"

All hiking boots/shoes are only as good as the socks you wear with them, get it wrong and they can actually make matters worse, causing dreadful blisters and sores, especially on the heel. I have been around the world without a single blister or foot complaint, and I attribute that to the wonderful Tilley Ankle socks, they don't look like much, are quite thin, which is great in the hot weather, and they wick moisture away from your feet for extra breathability, wash them every night in a sink or when you have a shower, and they will be dry and ready again the next morning.

You only need two pairs on any trip (one as a spare), which can lessen the load if you want to pack light, they also come with a 3 year 'All-Holes-Barred Guarantee', and I can't recommend them enough! (I'm still looking for a reliable source of these socks, so stay tuned!)

Leatherman Multitool

2009-05-28T14:53:00.001+01:00

I have worn a Leatherman of some description or other on my belt for over 25 years, other makes and types have come and gone, but I can always rely on my trusty Leatherman Wave to get me out of a fix.
The Leatherman Wave I have right now, is the old type (an all time favorite!), which I prefer slightly to the newer one (personal preference) and at time of purchase was in the region of £100, that was about 10 years ago, so I guess £10 per year is not a lot to pay for something that I use practically every day and has a 25 year guarantee!

When people know you wear a Leatherman,
you’ll be amazed at how many times they ask to use it, eventually they will get one of their own, after a few subtle hints, then they wonder how they ever managed without one, and I would remind them..............they used to use mine!!

Here are the two versions of the Wave, my older one on the left, the newer on the right.

The old style Leatherman Wave does not have the locking facility of the new one for the screwdrivers, scissors and bottle/can opener, it has 4 straight slot bits and one Philips #2, the main 4 blades lock on both models, one clip point, one sheep’s foot serrated, one wood saw and a combination file, one side of which is diamond coated. All 4 of these blades can be opened with the handles in the closed position, and a good solid purchase is available for heavy work, they can be unlocked and returned home virtually with one hand.
The pliers and wire cutters are what make the Leatherman Multitool such a useful piece of kit, and I remember thinking way back in the eighties when they first came out, “why didn’t I think of that!”. Since then of course, they have become a household name, and have many imitations, but still remain the best Multitool in my opinion!
There is now a whole range of Leatherman's to suit everyone’s taste, and I will hopefully be putting the new Skeletool through its paces in the near future, so watch this space
Notice the beefier blades, the locking mechanism, smaller scissors and interchangeable screwdriver bits on the new version (belonging to my father).

Whole range of Leatherman's available here!

Tilley hats

2009-05-26T12:34:00.009+01:00

Another favourite, is my trusty Tilley T3 olive hat, some say I sleep in it, and sometimes I do, lol! This is a little gem of a hat, not to everyone’s taste I'm sure, but I guarantee if you ask a Tilley hat owner to part with theirs, they will flat down refuse, no matter how much you offer (within reason of course, lol!)

Washable, crushable, high sun protection, classic look (depending on which design you go for), and sometimes a lifesaver!
There is a thin foam liner in the base that helps it float and has saved my head from many a scrape!, a neat wide lace that loops under your chin and round the back of your head keeps it in place in high winds (invaluable), which can be stowed away inside the hat when not needed! It's great for keeping your head cool in the summer and warm in the winter plus the wide brim keeps rain off your glasses and the suns glare to a minimum.

Being a Tilley hat owner is like joining a select club, each member is instantly recognised by their hat wherever they go by other Tilley owners, and usually a new friendship ensues!
One owner in America (works in a Zoo) has even had his eaten by an Elephant....... 3 times!, he later retrieved it each time (I don't have to tell you where from?), washed it, and continues to wear it!!

Here's a Preying Mantis wearing mine!!

There is a wide range to choose from, plus a great collection of other clothing items for the discerning traveler, the Tilley socks being a must have! I have walked many hundreds of miles in all terrains and have yet to have a single blister!!
They might not look like much, but trust me, these are a great piece of kit, 2 pairs saw me round the world in 8 months, washable in the sink every night, and they are dry and ready to go the next morning!
As I always say, “look after your feet, as without them......you can’t go anywhere!”

Get your Tilley T3 here!

Still looking for good supplier of Tilley socks, watch this space!!

Craghopper Kiwi zip-off trousers

2009-05-25T12:14:00.025+01:00

Craghopper Kiwi trousers are another favourite, especially the zip-off variety, they are so comfortable and practical, I wear little else these days (trousers that is!)

Craghoppers have a high sun protection rating with their Craghopper SolarDry fabric, 8 pockets to cater for all your keys/change/wallets etc., including 2 security zipped back pockets, 2 security zipped side pockets (inside the normal side pockets) and a handy sized cargo pocket on the right leg, which also has with another zipped pocket down the side, there’s even a mobile phone pocket, so you can feel secure when in a pick-pocket rich environment, in fact, I’m sure that Craghoppers are pick picketers number one enemy (that and a 44 magnum!)

I recently had a bad experience while on a trip, I'm not going to say where, because it could have happened anywhere!
Three friends and I were walking back to our hostel from a nightclub, and we got mugged by 5 local guys, it was not pretty, but needless to say, my Craghoppers prevented them getting anything from me, as they tried to go through my pockets after beating me to the ground, my wallet and passport were both
safely tucked away in separate zipped pockets, one of my friends on the other hand was wearing jeans, and lost his wallet, cellphone and (luckily) his old passport!

The other great attraction to Craghopper trousers is if it gets hot when out on the trail, you can un-zip the legs and you have an instant pair of great looking shorts, no need to take both items of clothing anymore! The un-zipped legs take up little weight or room in your backpack, and are always there in case you need them on those cool evenings or when the bugs start to bite!

Special offer, Craghopper Kiwi Zip-off trousers only £24.95 (rrp £40)

Get the best deals on Craghopper clothing here

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